LONDON, Oct 1: Britain is mulling a plan to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan to help efforts to combat insurgents and drug barons in the volatile south of the country, the defence ministry said on Friday.

The comments came as Defence Secretary John Reid began a whirlwind tour of Afghanistan.

“We are discussing the various options that exist with NATO and our partners and we will make a decision in due course as to exact numbers when it is appropriate,” a ministry of defence spokesman said.

The final figure of troops would likely be around 1,500 but it could be as many as 4,000, sources said. Britain already has 900 soldiers on the ground.

Reid outlined hopes to send a “sufficient” number of troops into the Helmand region next year to bolster efforts to seek out Al Qaeda-linked fighters and take on powerful warlords behind the world’s largest heroin market.

The minister, who is on his first ever trip to Afghanistan, said the force would be in addition to a commitment to take control of Nato’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corp (ARRC) next May.

Mr Reid is due to hold talks with President Hamid Karzai and defence minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak to offer the increased assistance.—AFP